A CRB like Miami’s can help Ferguson

The city of Ferguson would do well to follow the lead of Miami-Dade County and create a Community Relations Board, whose purpose it is to identify and intervene to reduce tensions surrounding events such as the tragic shooting of Michael Brown.

As Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez pointed out in his statement just before the announcement that the Ferguson grand jury declined to charge Officer Darren Wilson, our CRB plays a central role in keeping the peace here at home. The Miami-Dade County CRB has become a nationwide model.

The community’s nonviolent reaction following last year’s acquittal of George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case underscores the important work and peaceful outcomes that can result from the kind of proactive, ongoing — get out in front of the problem — approach a broad-based, ethnically representative organization such as the CRB can foster.

Emotions are so high right now in Ferguson that it may be that nothing could have stopped the unfortunate, violent reaction from some following the grand jury’s announcement.

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But imagine what might have been if, all along, community dialogues and forums had been going on in an organized manner, giving all involved public opportunities for expressing their grievances and seeking solutions in partnership with the police and community leaders.

Prosecutor Robert McCullough called for peaceful community dialogue during his announcement of the grand jury’s decision. It appears to have been too little, too late.

The CRB stands ready and willing to assist any community, including Ferguson, in establishing a CRB of their own.

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Child advocates across Florida applaud the 2019 Florida Legislature for passing significant laws that aid the fight to prevent human trafficking. Sponsored by Sen. Lauren Book and Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, the law would shine a bright light on the places where these heinous crimes are committed — many of which, sadly, could have been prevented.
This anti-human trafficking bill, HB 851, requires educating the employees of hotels, massage parlors and adult theaters on how to spot the signs of trafficking and common practices. It calls for those employees who see evidence of these crimes to report suspicious activity to the confidential National Human Trafficking Hotline (888-373-7888).
The law also reclassifies strip clubs that employ underage victims who commonly come from the foster care system and overseas, only to become trapped by trafficking rings — as adult theaters. Additionally, the law requires that law enforcement personnel be educated on trafficking to improve enforcement.
Further, it would create a Prostitution Public Database of those convicted of soliciting prostitution in Florida and a fund to support the enforcement through steep fines, and to help the victims.
The bill comes none too soon for would-be victims. The National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 367 cases of human trafficking in Florida in 2018, the third highest in the nation. Sadly, that’s a fraction of the 2,133 calls to the Florida Abuse Hotline reporting trafficking in 2017-2018, a figure that’s up 147 percent over the past four years, according to the Florida Statewide Council on Human Trafficking.
This law, which was the last substantive bill passed by the Legislature in its recent session, is an laudable, aggressive step in attacking some of Florida’s most vile crimes.
Howard M. Talenfeld,
president,
Florida’s Children First,
Fort Lauderdale